Effect of cattle manure compost on organic peanuts cultivation in paddy field

Abstract

The demand for organic agricultural products in Thailand is increasing, but there is a problem of insufficient production. Mostly, organic farming areas predominantly produce organic rice. Peanut, which are low-water-usage plants, are suitable as a crop after annual rice cultivation. Peanut requires low investment and can be grown both before and after the main crops. Therefore, Peanuts are another option for organic food production. But there is still a lack of information on the use of organic fertilizers. This research aims to study the suitable rate of composted cow manure fertilizer for organic peanut cultivation. The experimental design is a randomized complete block design (RCB) with 3 replications and 7 treatments. The treatments include: no composted cow manure fertilizer, and composted cow manure fertilizer at rates of 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700 kg/rai. The study  found that applying composted cow manure fertilizer at all rates reduced soil acidity, affected changes in the main nutrient quantities as well as organic matter content, and improved soil physical properties. This resulted in a significant increase in peanut yield compared to not applying cow manure fertilizer. The highest Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) for organic peanut production, both fresh and dry pods, was achieved at the rate of 400 kg/rai of composted cow manure fertilizer.